The aim of Christina Henri’s project is to commemorate
convict woman.
Up until now these women have been shunned by society as a shame. someone
to be hidden when in actual fact they were the backbone of modern Australian
society.
To represent the women Ms Henri is asking for 25,566 cloth bonnets to be
made. A big ask but already over 13,000 have been completed.
When the full number of bonnets is received they will be displayed in Perspex
boxes equaling the number of ships these women came to Australia on.
The aim of this is to use the bonnets to empathise just how vast a number
25,566 women were. The venue will be the Cascades Female Factory site in
Hobart.

MGFHS CONVICT BONNETS PROJECT

Members of Mid Gippsland Family History Society have sent in over
40 bonnets to become part of Christina Henri’s Collection.

Christina is most grateful for these bonnet tributes. There are still
many more needed, so please keep sewing.

Already a large number of ceremonies have been held around Australia with
more to come before the last bonnet is received.

Information from the Geelong event held in 2007

During the 19th Century over 18,000 convicts, many of them women, came
ashore at Point Henry and from there settled throughout the Port Phillip
District and beyond. These convict women mainly transported to Australia
for minor offences, such as stealing a loaf of bread or a cheap trinket,
endured primitive conditions as they struggled to establish a new life.
To acknowledge the contribution made by these women to the economic and
social life of the Colony an event will take place following the sentencing
re-enactment entitled

Blessing of the Bonnets

Tasmanian artist Christina Henri has conceived a project called Roses
from the Heart™ and the ‘Blessing of the Bonnets’ ceremony is a part of
this project. Various groups and individuals around Victoria have made Bonnets
each embroidered with the name of a convict woman and the name of the maker.
These bonnets will be placed in a wooden dinghy and blessed by a local female
clergy. They will be packed and freighted to Hobart to join other Bonnets
made throughout Australia and further a field globally. Christina Henri
the conceiver/founder/organizer of this project will co- ordinate the display
of all bonnets made by participants world-wide. After travelling overseas
during 2011 and 2012 the 25,566 bonnet project will become a permanent installation
when the full 25,566 bonnets have been received.

EVENTS

Continuing plans include:

2009:
To hold a similar event to the Memorial of the Bonnets event that was held
in Parramatta, NSW - (10th April, 2008) in Windsor, NSW as so many people
have a connection to Windsor

A second Blessing of the Bonnets event in Geelong.
The original event had over 400 people attending on a 39 Degree day.
The bonnets, over 1200 received are on display in a cell at the historic
Geelong Gaol. The next 'Blessing of the Bonnets' event should be sometime
in 2009 ?May
(Date yet to be determined).

In Adelaide the Blessing of the Bonnets will be included as part of Country
Bumpkins, 'Beating Around the Bush' International Embroiders Conference
October 2009.
All who would like to attend are invited.
Christina will have more on her website once she knows the exact day and
time.

In WA there will be an event as part of the Nannup Folk Festival in March
2009
Christina is hoping to hold a Blessing of the Bonnets Event in Fremantle
at the Historic Goal 8th March 2009.

Interest has been shown from the UK/Ireland and Canada, especially Nova
Scotia for visits from Christina and her display in 2010/2011.
Also the UK the Channel Islands, especially Jersey are showing considerable
interest.

AND...
The more the project is promoted the sooner ALL the bonnets will be made.
The eventual outcome will be a permanent public art display.
Christina suspects this will be in 2013.
In 2010, before taking the bonnets overseas, she aims to have them on display
in the Great Hall of Parliament, Canberra.
The plan is that the work will be viewed by walking above the Hall and looking
down from the upstairs balconies onto the bonnets that will be sitting together
on the floor of the Hall, appearing as the heads of the convict women.
It should look as though one is above the women themselves. This will be
videoed and used as part of any further exhibitions.
To achieve this Christina needs to attract sponsorship as the cost to hire
the Great Hall will be around $28,000.
The exposure this would bring any Company will be enormous.
5 days of the bonnets representing the convict women, taking centre stage
in our National Parliament will be a most stunning installation and attract
major media attention.